Complexes of Group 4 transition metals such as titanium or zirconium are useful metal complexes in versatile organic synthetic reactions, for example, as Lewis acid in transesterification reaction or Diels-Alder reaction. For example, usability of titanium tetraisopropoxide (e.g., see Patent Document 1) and titanocene diacetate (e.g., see Patent Document 2) as transesterification catalysts is disclosed. Further, these metal complexes have extremely high industrial values as olefin polymerization catalysts and there are many reports on that. For example, production processes of olefin polymers using a metallocene complex and aluminoxane are reported (e.g., see Patent Document 3). An alkoxy-titanium complex of the present invention is a promising metal complex that is expected to exhibit specific activity due to its unique structure (e.g., see Patent Document 4) and development of an industrially advantageous production process of the complex has been desired.
Alkoxy-titanium complexes can be produced, for example, by a reaction of a corresponding titanium halide complex with an alkali metal alkoxide, or with an alcohol in the presence of a base (e.g., see Patent Document 5); however it is industrially desirable to provide a process for producing an alkoxy-titanium complex using raw materials that can be handled more safely for industrial production and can be used under more moderate reaction conditions.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 54-59265
[Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication (JP-B) No. 45-2395
[Patent Document 3] JP-A No. 58-19309
[Patent Document 4] JP-A No. 9-87313
[Patent Document 5] JP-A No. 2000-119287